As the situation unfolded, Naruto's departure with Hades marked a turning point in the battles, with the remaining participants now facing their own challenges. Ino and Hinata, who were yet to form contracts, became the focus of attention from powerful entities.
Ino, having gained the attention of several minor Immortals, found herself conversing with Isis, the Immortal of magic, love, and healing from the Land of Wind. Isis stood out not only because of her striking beauty but also due to her immense abilities in areas that Ino deeply valued. Ino, being keenly aware of the importance of her future alliances, was drawn to Isis for her expertise in healing and magic, which was an area where many others had little to offer.
Meanwhile, Hinata's situation was more complicated. As she stood in the arena, she was approached by a group of powerful figures, each offering their own unique abilities. Artemis, the immortal of archery; Kama, the embodiment of love and passion; Tsukuyomi, the immortal of the moon and illusion; Benzaiten, the immortal of music and knowledge; Aphrodite, the immortal of love; and Freya, the Norse immortal of love and fertility—each offered her their hand, symbolizing different aspects of love, archery, and influence.
Hinata felt a weight in the air as the immortal's stood before her, each one emanating an aura of power, beauty, and conviction. Their offers were not just about power but about the roles they could play in her life. Each one represented a facet of Hinata's own heart and desires, making the decision even more difficult for her. The presence of such powerful entities was overwhelming, and Hinata knew that her choice could shape her future in ways she couldn't yet comprehend.
As Naruto stepped into the underworld dimension of Hades, he was immediately struck by the surreal beauty of the realm. The sight of glowing fields stretched endlessly before him, populated by ethereal spirits. The air was thick with tranquility as the spirits wandered peacefully, their essence seemingly filled with a calm and contentment that felt almost tangible. This was not just any afterlife, but a world crafted by Hades for those who had passed away while choosing to place their trust and belief in him.
The underworld had grown over time, slowly accumulating more souls. It was a place where those who had lived righteous lives found peace, but it was not without its darker aspects. Though the majority of the realm exuded peace, there was a stark contrast in the form of the "area of the damned," a realm where those who had committed evil were subjected to endless torment.
Naruto's eyes roamed the landscape, soaking in the majestic yet bittersweet atmosphere. The vibrant glow of the fields contrasted with the dark, sinister regions lurking in the distance. As Naruto absorbed the serenity of the world, he couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over him. Yet, in the back of his mind, he knew that this peaceful world was only one side of Hades' domain.
Hades, walking beside him, spoke softly, "What do you think? Isn't it peaceful here, away from all the negativity of the world?"
Naruto glanced around once more, taking in the sights, the gentle sway of the fields, the faint glow of the spirits' essence, and the soft breeze that flowed between the trees. There was no denying the peace that hung in the air. "It's beautiful," Naruto admitted, his voice soft as the weight of the realm's calmness settled over him. "It's... peaceful."
Hades nodded in agreement, his gaze distant as if reflecting on the nature of his realm. "That's the nature of this place. Here, the souls are free of their earthly burdens. They are no longer haunted by negativity or fear. This is a place for those who deserve peace. The other side of my realm—the area of the damned—is where those who sowed evil in life are punished for eternity. It's the price they pay for their choices."
Naruto nodded slowly, understanding the concept. "How do they end up like this?"
"It's quite simple, really," Hades replied, his voice calm but heavy with the weight of his eternal role. "When a soul enters this world, they are free from their worries. Evil thoughts cannot touch them here. It's a place for the victorious souls, for those who lived with honor and integrity. But in the end, even those who live in peace here must face the Great End."
"The Great End?" Naruto asked, intrigued by the term.
Hades's expression became more somber, his gaze lingering on the horizon as if contemplating the mystery of it. "The Great End is the day when Death will take us all. No one can escape it, not even I. It is inevitable, though no one knows when it will come. Don't dwell on it, Naruto. It will be a pointless distraction. What matters is what we do in the present, and what you seek from this contract."
Naruto absorbed Hades' words, feeling the weight of the immortal's perspective. The notion of an inevitable end was not lost on him, but he understood Hades' point. Dwelling on the unknown wouldn't change anything. Instead, he shifted his focus back to the task at hand.
"So, how do we form the contract?" Naruto asked, eager to continue forward with his decision.
Hades turned to him with a slight smile, his eyes gleaming with a mix of admiration and calculation. "It's quite simple, actually. But before we proceed, I want to see your limits. I want to understand your strength more clearly. This will allow me to tailor our bond and give you a better understanding of the allies you will have by your side."
Naruto nodded, prepared for whatever challenge Hades had in mind. He understood that before forming a bond with someone as powerful as Hades, it was only logical that the immortal would want to gauge his abilities.
With a flick of his hand, Hades altered the surroundings, and the peaceful realm of spirits vanished. The tranquil fields disappeared into nothingness, replaced by a vast, empty void. The emptiness of the space was stark and disorienting, but Naruto steadied himself, focusing on his breathing.
"I'm ready," Naruto said, his voice steady as he faced the immortal who would soon be his ally.
Hades glanced at him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Let's begin."
As Naruto unleashed his full power, the transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. His body, now enhanced to its absolute limits, pulsed with a raw energy that seemed to ripple through the very fabric of reality. Every cell in his body thrummed with the power to destroy planets, and his speed surpassed the boundaries of imagination. In an instant, Naruto could move faster than light, his every motion a blur of golden energy. The weight of his strength could annihilate a Jupiter-sized planet with a single blow, and his mind raced to keep up with the torrent of newfound power.
Testing the waters, Naruto decided to strike with his body first, using his enhanced physicality to gauge the effect. With every punch and kick, he could feel the force of his blows shaking the very air around him. His fists and feet glowed with golden light, and each strike had the power to bypass defenses, capable of annihilating the internal structure of his opponent. But as he attacked, he wasn't alone. Another clone appeared behind Hades, using the adamantine chains to bind the immortal, effectively holding him in place.
Despite the immense power behind Naruto's attack, it never landed. Just as Naruto closed the distance and aimed his punch at Hades, a sudden barrier formed—a set of ghostly hands appeared from nowhere, trying to tear Naruto's limbs off with an eerie grip. It was a direct counterattack that Hades had executed with frightening ease. But Naruto, being no novice in battle, used his chakra hands to block the ghostly limbs, the ethereal forces shattering upon contact with his energy.
Determined to go all out, Naruto teleported away from the dangerous hands, and in the blink of an eye, one of his clones launched a mini-Bijuu Dama, a miniature version of the devastating attack, directly toward Hades. The blast was concentrated and powerful, but it was instantly negated when Hades used his mastery over spatial manipulation. The attack never reached its target, as it was simply erased from existence the moment it crossed the barrier Hades created.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. Spatial attacks, as powerful as they were, had no effect on Hades. That was a key piece of information Naruto would have to remember. Not deterred, he reached into his vast arsenal and summoned his Golden Mandala barrier, preparing for a clash with Hades' next assault. A surge of blue fire erupted from Hades' form, an intense, ghostly flame that burned with the fury of an immortal soul's wrath. The fire covered Naruto's entire vision, and the power radiating from it was unlike anything he had faced before.
Normally, the Golden Mandala barrier would have absorbed such an attack, neutralizing the flames. But this time, the fire was feeding on the energy Naruto used to power the barrier, growing in strength the longer it came into contact with the Mandala. The flames burned hotter and fiercer, threatening to consume Naruto entirely. It was a battle of attrition, and for once, Naruto found himself in a position where his sheer power wasn't enough to break through. The result of this battle, it seemed, would be decided by who had the more refined skill.
Naruto ignored the flames, instead pushing forward with his strategy. He summoned his clones to attack Hades from multiple angles, using their overwhelming numbers to keep the immortal on the defensive. Meanwhile, Naruto himself was busy gathering his ultimate attack, the Bijuu beam, in tandem with an elemental Rasenshuriken infused with Truth-Seeking Balls. This combination was the pinnacle of his strength, a move he had honed through countless hours of training and combat. Each element of the attack was charged with the highest levels of Senjutsu chakra, making it exponentially more powerful than any Rasengan he had ever created. But this was more than just an attack—it was a concentrated force of trillions of cells, each one holding the destructive power to obliterate a city.
Naruto focused his energy, feeling the power of every individual cell come together into the ultimate jutsu. It was the product of everything he had learned, a fusion of ancient wisdom and modern strength. His energy, now acting as a guide for the technique, formed a swirling vortex of power that seemed to bend the very nature of the battlefield. The attack was not just powerful—it was deadly. If this hit, there would be no escape for anyone in the vicinity.
Hades, however, watched the buildup of energy with an unsettling calmness. There was no trace of concern or fear in his eyes—only a quiet, knowing confidence. As Naruto's attack surged forward, Hades raised a hand, and without so much as a flicker of effort, a black barrier appeared before him. It was a dark, impenetrable shield that effortlessly absorbed the entirety of Naruto's devastating attack. The collision, a cataclysmic eruption of raw energy, sent shockwaves through the cosmos, powerful enough to destroy everything on the planet and even reach the moon. Yet, in a display of absolute mastery, Hades' barrier absorbed all the energy without so much as a crack.
Instead of an explosion that could wipe out everything in its path, the immense force of the attack simply vanished, as if it never existed at all.
Naruto stood there, a mix of awe and realization on his face. He had thrown everything he had at Hades—his body, his chakra, his most powerful jutsu—but Hades had erased it all without a second thought. The immortal's mastery over space and his own domain was far beyond anything Naruto had anticipated.
But Naruto wasn't discouraged. He knew that to challenge someone of Hades' caliber, he would need to push beyond his limits, to refine his skills even further. This battle was far from over.
Naruto, realizing the futility of his strongest move, decided to escalate the situation with a conceptual attack—one that transcended physical force. The moment he began the incantation, the very air around him seemed to shift. A three-dimensional magic circle materialized in front of him, its edges glowing with an ethereal light. At the center of the circle, an orb of Yin and Yang swirled, representing the balance of opposing forces. This circle was more than a simple barrier; it was a conceptual prison, one designed to trap the opponent in a 50/50 fate—either complete annihilation or devastating injury.
Naruto's breath quickened, his focus absolute as the orb compressed, trying to seal Hades within its confines. The air felt thick with the potential for destruction. Yet, just like his previous attack, this move was wiped away effortlessly by Hades. With a casual flick of the immortal's hand, the entire magic circle and its inner workings were erased. But that wasn't all. In an instant, Naruto felt his senses begin to disappear, one by one, as though the world was being pulled from under him. First, his vision blacked out completely, followed by the loss of taste, smell, and touch.
His hearing vanished next, followed by the loss of all his special senses. It was as if his very existence was being erased, and in that moment, Naruto felt completely powerless. He could no longer feel his body, his cells, or even his mind. It was as if he were no longer connected to the world in any way. The experience was terrifying—an overwhelming sense of helplessness and despair.
But then, just as suddenly as it started, everything returned. His senses came back, though weak and disoriented, and his body felt frail, like that of an ordinary human. He was left gasping on the ground, struggling to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what had just occurred. Hades had done nothing but use his presence to dismantle Naruto's will and strength.
"You have achieved a lot in a short time, Naruto," Hades spoke with a calm, almost sympathetic tone. "However, you are still lacking a lot. I hope you can see that with us on your side, your journey into this new field of power will become easier."
The immortal's words sank in as Naruto lay on the ground, catching his breath. He realized that in just a few moments, Hades had reduced him to nothing. Not through brute force, but through the subtle and terrifying mastery of his abilities. The Aura of Immortal King had completely overwhelmed Naruto, shutting him down in ways that felt unnatural, leaving him with nothing but a raw sense of helplessness.
Naruto, however, was not one to succumb to despair. Despite the harrowing experience, a voice echoed in his mind—Kurama's voice, steady and resolute. "Calm down, Naruto. Even if we lose all our powers, we still have our knowledge. With it, we can always return to our peak. Don't get too attached to the physical existence; only your soul and mind are necessary for us to continue on our path."
Those words struck a chord deep within Naruto. It was a reminder that power, no matter how immense, was not everything. His body, his chakra, his jutsu—they were important, yes, but his true strength lay in the knowledge and wisdom he had accumulated over the years. Knowledge could not be taken from him. Even if his body failed, his mind would endure, and that was something no one could erase.
With newfound clarity, Naruto stood up, his breath still ragged but his resolve stronger than ever. "Thank you for the battle, Hades," he said, his voice gaining steadiness as he looked up at the immortal, his expression now one of gratitude mixed with determination. "I've learned a lot from this experience."